Ellory Frick Brunkhorst will become president of Frick's Quality Meats on Sept. 1, 2026, succeeding her father Dave Frick, who held the role for 30 years. The transition marks the latest chapter at the 130-year-old, fifth-generation, family-owned processor of smoked hams, sausages, and ready-to-eat meat products headquartered in Washington, Missouri.

Her Track Record

Frick Brunkhorst joined the company at age 15 and has spent the past 25 years working across virtually every function — production floor operations, product development, branding, and strategic planning. Her work on clean-label initiatives and new-product introductions aimed at contemporary eating occasions contributed to what the company describes as its strongest growth period to date. She also championed across-the-board wage increases for plant employees.

For c-store retailers and foodservice buyers, the clean-label push matters. Ready-to-eat and grab-and-go smoked meat items — a staple of the grab-and-go and roller-grill-adjacent cold case set — face mounting shopper scrutiny over ingredient lists, and Frick's early investment in simplified formulations positions the brand competitively on retailer shelves. The company's allergen-free processing facility and BRC Grade A certification also check boxes that category buyers increasingly require from protein suppliers.

What Stays, What Changes

Dave Frick will remain on the Board of Directors, focusing on facilities design and expansion while mentoring the next generation of leadership. His three decades as president included modernized production capabilities and expanded manufacturing capacity that now supports distribution into 48 states across grocery and convenience retail channels.

"No one is better prepared to lead this company or more deeply committed to our people, customers, and values," Dave Frick said of his daughter. Frick Brunkhorst framed her priorities around balancing heritage with innovation: "It's a privilege to carry that legacy forward for future generations."

Under her leadership, Frick's plans continued investment in product innovation and operational capacity — a signal to retail buyers that the company's supply commitments and SKU pipeline should remain stable through the ownership transition. For convenience channel buyers sourcing packaged smoked meats for grab-and-go and deli-case sets, leadership continuity at a GFSI-compliant, single-source supplier like Frick's reduces onboarding risk and supports long-term private-label and branded meat programs.

Founded in 1896, Frick's combines time-honored family recipes with a modern, allergen-free processing operation — a combination that has grown increasingly relevant as convenience operators upgrade their packaged protein assortments to meet consumer demand for cleaner, higher-quality options at the cold case.

Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.